


The Talk

by avrelia



Series: The World of Infinite Hope - canon compliant stories [20]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Discussion of Underage Sex, Druk is sleeping in the background, F/M, Fire Nation Royal Family, Izumi is thinking vaguely about underge sex, Nation Royal Family are fluffy kittens, Picnics, discussion of sex, help! we got a teenager!, memory of underage sex, parenting is work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:07:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26503408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avrelia/pseuds/avrelia
Summary: Izumi, the 15 years old Princess of the Fire Nation and the Turtleduck of her parents, hates being bored (I wonder where did she get it from?). So, being an annoying teenager too smart for her own good, she decides to talk to her parents about sex. How did they learn about it, why they decided to have it, and should she have one, too. Her parents, being Mai and Zuko, remember being annoying teenagers themselves all too well. So they talk.No one in the story is actually having sex, underage or not. But this story suggests that Mai and Zuko did have sex during the Nightmares and Daydreams episode (3.09), and here they remember what – and why.And how many times I can write the word “sex” in the summary for decidedly unsexy story?
Relationships: Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: The World of Infinite Hope - canon compliant stories [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858519
Comments: 14
Kudos: 63





	The Talk

**Author's Note:**

> The rating M here is probably overkill, but I prefer to err on the safe side. Yes, it is about sex, and about sex between young people, but I was interested in talking about it without sexualizing - just on emotional level, trying to figure out what they were thinking, these two idiots in love? Anyway, I am interested in your opinion.

Being alone was a luxury for a princess, There was always diplomatic protocol, or security risk or the reality of living in a palace, and Izumi could count on her hands the number of times she was alone beyond her own room in her fifteen years. But being with just her parents was the next best thing. And only slightly less rare – they could eschew the protocol when they wanted, one of the actual privileges of the Fire Lord and Lady, and they could protect themselves and her better than anyone, but they were often busy, so staying alone required detailed planning.

But today was that day – just the three of them in their Ember Island unofficial residence, sitting in the shadow at the courtyard after a nice picnic. Well, and Druk, napping somewhere nearby. Parents enjoyed doing seemingly nothing, just sitting together, and Izumi brought some books to finish reading. She spread out her light reading collection – which one to pick up first? The History of Fire Navy regulations for the past 500 year? It was a fascinating read, but not for now. Best quotes of the Avatar Szeto regarding finances? Later. She picked up the classical novel she was supposed to read for her literature essay and dived in. After fifteen minutes she looked at the end of the book, then leafed through the pages. One of the oldest and most famous Fire Nation novels was about a young prince who was in love with many women, and other many women were in love with him. It should have been fun and adventures, but it was mostly dolorous contemplation about fate, honor and untimely death. The prince in question was supposed to be nice and romantic, but actually was a pathetic idiot who ruined lives around him while feeling sorry for himself. Izumi hoped he was not among her ancestors. Of course, her ancestors mostly consisted of horrible people, anyway, and maybe a pathetic idiot was an improvement. She pushed the book away and snorted. That attracted the attention of her parents.

“You are reading Tales of the Peony Prince?” Mom asked, sitting up and peering at the cover.

“Yes, I need it for school. Did you read it, too?”

“Of course. It’s a foundation stone of our culture, we all had to read it… Except that… Ty Lee, I think, avoided it by running away with the circus, and Azula had her own curriculum most of the time.”

“And you, Dad?”

Her father shrugged, “I’ve read it at some point. Uncle Iroh insisted I knew the classics, but I can’t say it made a big impression on me.”

“So you were banished and still had to do your homework?” Mom asked him incredulously.

“My life sucked in many different ways.” He pronounced it solemnly, with a tragic flair, but Izumi could see his eyes laughing. And Mom could see it too, because she used this opportunity to tickle Dad.

Izumi giggled, and Dad grumbled, laughing “It is the assault on your Fire Lord, you know. Punishable offense.”

“Punishable by your extreme pouting, my Lord Zuko, I know.” Mom grinned, then kissed his scarred side “Is that better?”

“Much better, thank you, Mai.” He grinned back and kissed her hand.

Her parents were adorable, but no fifteen year old wants to see that. Izumi had enough of mushy feelings and felt the need to stir something up. “So, did you learn about love and sex from the Tales?”

“Oh, no, of course not!” Her mother laughed.

“We had to figure out love ourselves, as we went along.” Dad said in a tone more suited for the theater than the picnic.

“Also, from the Love Among the Dragons.” Mom whispered pointing at dad. He chuckled.

“And sex?”

It wasn’t easy to ruffle her mom with these questions. “Fire Nation Academy, naturally.”

“You had lessons?”

“No, we talked. Between the classes, just the girls shared the knowledge with each other, whatever they could. Of course, some of it was just tales and fantasies, and some was useful. I envied Suki, they actually learned a lot as part of their warrior training. Pity I couldn’t convince the school to adopt this as a part of the program, but at least you could get it from Suki yourself.”

“And you, Dad?”

Mom’s calm answer let Dad time to recover. “Well, I spent three years on the navy ship. I had entirely too much information readily available, so I mostly tried to avoid it. I did learn the basics, of course.”

Izumi noticed Mom rolling her eyes at that and decided to strike. “So. How was your first time?”

It produced the expected effect. They kind of froze and looked at each other. Izumi had no idea what kind of stupid courage made her ask that. But she so rarely managed to ruffle her parents that she enjoyed the experience.

After eternity, Mom said “We might as well tell her the story. For cautionary purposes.” Then they again exchanged the looks that meant something, and Mom continued. “We were young and stupid and had nothing better to do at the time.”

“So it just happened?”

“Oh, no, it was carefully planned. Azula took Ba Sing Se, the Avatar was gone, as we believed, Zuko was back home, and we were together. Things seemed to be going just fine.”

“Except they weren’t fine. But I couldn't figure out what was wrong, and neither could Mai, so we thought it was a good idea at the time.”

“We thought ourselves grownups, and really – after fighting in a war and taking over an enemy capital – it was an understandable illusion.”

“You were my age then? Fifteen? And you thought yourselves grownups, but I am a baby?” Izumi grew up on the stories of amazing adventures her parents and their friends had when hardly her age, and was more envious than thankful of avoiding them.

“Pretty much, yes.” Dad nodded.

“We were thrown into the grownup stuff we were not ready for. It’s a miracle we managed somehow.” Mom sighed. “And you are not a baby, of course, but you have a chance not to rush into adulthood, so please take it.”

“While making lots of stupid mistakes. Mostly me, of course.” Dad’s arm circled Mom’s shoulder and held her tight.

“Okay, you were young and stupid, but your boring sex date went according to your plan, right?” Not that Izumi really wanted the details, of course, but she loved them talking to her about it.

“Not for long. Until I learned that I wasn’t invited to an important war meeting held by my father.”

* * *

_It was Mai’s idea. Of course, it was all of her own. And it didn’t look like a bad idea, either. When she examined her feelings there was a bit of challenge, a bit of curiosity, but mostly she just really wanted to feel good. And in the last months, maybe years, she only felt good being near Zuko. Not even always, but a lot of time sitting together or walking together, she felt more alive than ever. He was not the boy she remembered from three years ago, but she rejoiced every time she found something familiar in him – a smile, an awkward joke, a distracted look. She took the new stuff with the old, the scar, the angry monologues, the feeling that he lost something and could not remember what. He was still her Zuko, grown gorgeous and brittle, but still as warm and silly as she remembered. It was a bad idea to get involved with the royals, but she was already too deep in with Azula, so she might as well have something for herself. Mai had no idea how Ty Lee dealt with her life, and where she unearthed all that boundless optimism, but Mai wanted Zuko._

_There was caution to be exercised, of course. Could she keep it quiet? She could. Could Zuko? Zuko was a bad liar, but he grew pretty good at not saying stuff. He hardly told her anything about the past three years, after all. She would rather keep it all from Azula as long as possible. And from her parents, but her parents were far enough to not have any serious place in her considerations. Now, as to the other cautionary measures, baby-preventing stuff… Mai was fairly certain her weird flowershop maiden aunt knew all about them, but she couldn’t go and ask her. Her only option was to trust one of the recipes girls at school were talking about. She chose one that made the most sense to her and had easily obtained ingredients. The drawback was that she had to take the tisane for a week before the event, on the other hand, it made good timing for a couple of days before the Invasion, and solved the question of what to do with the servants at home._

_When Mai broke the suggestion to Zuko, she was worried. He might have taken it the wrong way, or just not get it at all. But – it turned out he wasn’t too dense in things that mattered, and was suitably happy – and concerned for her, and only a little bit confused. So it all seemed to be working out just fine. The horrible-tasting preventive drink was taken, the extra servants were disposed of, Zuko was here, in the silly playful mood, everything went quite nicely, until it came to a screeching stop._

_She felt for Zuko, she tried to do whatever she could. But the time came to admit she had nothing. It was all a stupid idea, anyway._

* * *

“And?”

“Eventually…”

* * *

_Zuko knew of course, the plans for the night, and was totally on board with them. He was trying to hide his excitement, but judging by the way his servants smirked he suspected he didn’t hide it well. The smirks and innuendo reminded him unpleasantly of his years on the ship before he discovered the Avatar, and they all had no more time for silliness. During the shore leaves his crew kept suggesting to take him places where he could be made a man. The idea felt cringey and unnecessary, and only Uncle Iroh’s lighthearted rebuttals helped to stop salacious crap. But close to his sixteen’s birthday Uncle started to mention that there was nothing unhealthy for a young man to enjoy life in its different ways, and tried to educate about those ways. It’s not that Zuko was totally against enjoyment, but the circumstances made it all rather unbearable. There was no life to enjoy whatever that might mean. And then, he was back home, and what haunted him for three years was behind him, and it wasn’t quite how he dreamed it would be.. but there was Mai. His girlfriend. His… lots of things. And it was all different now. Suddenly he discovered that he quite enjoyed spending all the time with her, kissing, touching, seeing her rare smiles directed at him, basking in her comforting presence. They didn’t even have to talk, and Zuko could push everything that troubled him away. So, yeah, he was looking forward to this day, and it even started as nicely as planned. But of course, it couldn’t stay as planned, not his life. He couldn’t get rid of the thought that despite everything no one thought to invite him to the important war meeting or even to inform about it. He was still a prince only in stupid trinkets, given to enjoy palanquin rides and servants’ attention, but not to care about his country… Thinking that no matter what he did he wasn’t good enough and voicing out his anger and frustration somehow took the better part of the day. Mai’s feeble attempts to cheer him up were not helping, he seemed as lost as before. But when she left him alone, it got worse. Talking angrily when there was no one to listen and commiserate felt just stupid and pathetic. How Azula would laugh. Besides, he realized he was hungry. In all his dejection they didn’t even touch the resplendent fruit tart he ordered for Mai. He looked around – nobody was there. Same as in the dining hall. Finally he stumbled into the kitchen, when he found Mai with a bowl of noodles in front of her._

_“Where is everyone?”_

_“I told the servants to evacuate earlier. I will be fine alone with all the food the cook left for another couple of days.”_

_Oh, yes, evacuation. Zuko remembered – only the military personnel and the palace servants to stay in the Caldera city for the Day of the Black Sun. “Can I have something to eat?”_

_“Help yourself,” Mai vaguely waved at the pots. “I guess you can reheat it yourself if you need to.” Mai was upset. Zuko learned to notice it by the way her face was set in a particularly bland mask._

_He went and put some noodles for himself, warming up the bowl in his hands. “Do you want me to warm yours?”_

_“I am fine, thank you.” Coldly polite._

_They ate in silence._

_“Do you want me to make you tea? We still have that fruit tart, with the rose petals…”_

_“Sure.”_

_The war meeting debacle still stung, but he became more acutely aware that he ruined his date with Mai, too. And at least this one he could try to salvage. He didn’t know what he wanted right now, but tea was something that was supposed to make it all better. At least for Mai._

_The tea ended slightly better than his usual efforts even thought not to the uncle’s standards. But screw his standards, anyway. The fruit tart was good. Nothing really changed the atmosphere in the room, and Zuko didn’t dare to ask Mai about… anything. Eventually, she got up._

_“It’s late, I am going to bed.”_

_“And.. what about… what should I do?”_

_Mai gave him a long, somewhat sad, look, “I don’t know, Zuko. What do you want to do?” Then she turned and left, and Zuko, without thinking much, followed her._

_Mai disappeared in her bedroom, and Zuko stopped by the sofa on which they were kissing that morning. How did one go on in this situation? He came close to the bedroom and stopped again. Mai reappeared, now in her sleeping robe, her hair free from eternal buns, black shiny wave falling on her shoulders. He felt his jaw open and unable to move. Mai sighed and pulled him into a kiss, which he returned with relief and enthusiasm. The time ran too fast and too slow at the same time. Mai retreated to her bed having lost her robe along the way, but before he could see much, she hid under a cover and turned to look at him. Immediately he felt thankful for the darkness in the room while he undressed himself and jumped under the blankets close to Mai._

_The brain overloaded with feels and sensations, so he felt it burst open, and at some point he checked whether he was literally on fire or just felt like he was. Mai was everywhere, sweet, strong, awesome… and then... and coming down from a cloud of incredible joy he realized he was alone. Mai was right there, in the bed with him, but she didn’t look very joyful. “Great, I managed to ruin even this.”  
But waking up in the morning and seeing warm sleepy Mai smiling at him, Zuko thought he had a miracle he didn’t deserve._

_“Mai...”_

_“Good morning, Zuko”_

_And the morning was really good for another five minutes, until he remembered about the war meeting._

* * *

\---

“And?”

“What “and”? You really don’t need a detailed description with schemes and pictures, do you?” Dad was blushing.

“No, please, no.” Izumi felt she, too, was burning red.

“Anyway. It wasn’t that good. But it wasn’t that bad, either.” Mom smiled tenderly at Dad who answered with his own slightly embarrassed smile.

* * *

_Mai didn’t know what she expected, but she expected more. It was supposed to be the biggest event in a girl’s life – losing virginity, becoming a woman. She didn’t feel like a woman. After weeks of careful thought and some planning, that was – it? It was confusing. Good thing, it wasn’t painful. Bad thing, she didn’t feel much of anything. Well, she had felt a lot of things just before – the warmth, the sweetness of kissing each other in new places, the exhilaration of touching - naked body to naked body, the desperate desire for more, and then… it was it. Just two confused and slightly embarrassed kids naked in a puddle of goo. She got up and cleaned up a little. Zuko followed her; they didn’t talk. By the bed he caught her in a bear hug, and she felt an immediate relief._

_“You okay?” he whispered._

_She nodded in his embrace. “Let’s go sleep, it’s been a long day.”_

_They were back in bed, spooning and exchanging kisses that seemed incongruously chaste, after everything that happened. “oh, that is actually very good” Mai thought, falling asleep holding tightly on Zuko’s hand._

* * *

“And then in two days I wrote Mai the letter, and left to teach Aang firebending and help to stop my father.” Dad continued.

“And I spent a very arduous month rethinking my life choices and having all kinds of unpleasant emotions that were incredibly difficult to hide. After that, several weeks in prison were a relief. Of sorts.”

“Do you regret it? Having sex that day?”

“No.” Surprisingly, her parents both said it almost at the same time.

“But I shouldn’t?” Izumi didn’t really want to, and she had no one to have it with, and she wasn’t even in love. But in the interests of fairness she felt that she should have that option. It’s not like she wanted to become the Fire Lord any time soon, or have an Agni Kai with Aunt Azula… or anyone else, really.

“Please don’t have sex.” Dad winced.

“Ever?” She rolled her eyes at him. At some nebulous point in the future, she was pretty sure the question of heir to the throne will arise.

Bud Dad got serious. “Until you are much older. And stay away from teenage boys. And someone older than you.”

“What about teenage girls?” How’s that for poking at parents?

Dad smirked. “In my experience, teenage girls are much more dangerous.” Good poking, didn’t work. Hm?

Mom added, “You may skip the danger of getting pregnant that way, but not the heartbreak. Not that we can protect you from the heartbreak in any case, but it might be easier to deal later...”

“Easy for you to say… you just got stuck with each from the beginning...”

Both parents noticeably looked in different directions. There probably was another story there.

Dad came closer and looked directly in her eyes. “In any way, please know that you can tell us everything that troubles you, we are always going to be on your side. Unless you want to destroy the world.”

“We are always going to be on your side.” Mom stood up. “But if you are going to destroy the world, we are going to have a serious conversation about it.” Then, after a bit, she added, "We cannot stop you from making mistakes in life. We just want you didn't repeat ours."

Izumi rolled her eyes. “I am not going to destroy the world, what am I, stupid? Anyway, my legs are asleep, I can’t read right now.” She got up, too. Her legs were fine, but she needed to be alone and process the conversation. “I’ll go fly with Druk” and she ran to the dragon, who was resting nearby. She turned her head, and of course saw her parents kissing. Well, Izumi thought. Parents probably needed some time alone, too.


End file.
